Kolkata: Residents of seven housing complexes in the Rajpur-Sonarpur area have written to chief minister Suvendu Adhikari seeking urgent repairs of a 1.5-km stretch of road near Dwari Road, which they claim has remained in a poor condition for nearly a decade.The residents have alleged that the road is riddled with potholes and craters, with stretchesof the bitumen having peeled off, exposing the underlying surface. During the monsoon, the potholes fill with water, making it difficult for motorists and pedestrians to judge their depth. Residents fear that the condition could lead to a major accident.An association representing residents of the seven housing complexes sent the letter to the chief minister a few days ago. They alleged that repeated complaints to the local MLA, municipal chairman and other officials had failed to bring about any lasting solution. According to them, they were repeatedly given verbal assurances, but little was done on the ground.Residents also claimed that app-based cabs and taxis often refuse to enter the area because of the road condition. They alleged that even emergency services such as ambulances and fire engines face difficulty reaching the housing complexes on time.Gora Basu, convener of the Rajpur-Sonarpur Municipal Residents’ Welfare Association, said, “The 1.5-km stretch of Dwari Road has remained in a dilapidated condition for a long time. It is an important road for us, but the condition has become so bad that even travelling by car is difficult. Accidents involving two-wheelers have become frequent and several residents have had to spend money repairing vehicles damaged on this road.”Basu said patchwork was carried out whenever the issue was raised with the municipality and local councillor, but the road deteriorated again after rain. “The road has become a nightmare for us. Apart from seven large housing complexes, residents of three villages also use this road,” he said.Dwari Road can be accessed by taking a right turn at Dhamaitala More while travelling from Kamalgazi towards Baruipur.Sonarpur South MLA Rupa Ganguly said at least 200 roads in the Rajpur-Sonarpur area were in poor condition. She said she had raised the issue with municipal authorities and submitted documents to the district administration and departments concerned.Ganguly alleged that roads were damaged after being dug up for water pipelines under the Amrut project, while contractors had outstanding payments under the Pathashree project. She said patchwork was currently being undertaken with available municipal funds, adding that extensive road construction during the monsoon could result in further damage.“We have also informed the chief minister about the condition of roads in Rajpur-Sonarpur. We have been assured that the roads will be repaired at the earliest,” Ganguly said.“We have also informed the chief minister about the condition of roads in Rajpur-Sonarpur. We have been assured that the roads will be repaired at the earliest,” Ganguly said.
